New Director Brings Culture of Wellness to St. John’s Student Counseling Center

St. John’s University’s commitment to student wellness continues with the hiring of Jonathan W. Dator, Ph.D., MSCP, CGP, to oversee the newly rebranded Center for Counseling and Psychological Services. Dr. Dator, a licensed psychologist, joined St. John’s recently after eight years as Associate Director of Training at Providence College’s Personal Counseling Center. 

Introduction to Dr. Jonathan W. Dator

Hired as Director of the unit formerly known as the Center for Counseling and Consultation, Dr. Dator hopes to make the center more accessible to students while remaining sympathetic to the diversity of issues they face.

“I want people to know who we are and where we are,” Dr. Dator, 41, said. “We have a system in place where there are walk-in emergency appointments at any time. Our staff is incredibly diverse regarding race, ethnicity, and identities. We have staff members who speak five languages. That is because we want people here who will strongly support our students and have strong clinical skills based in evidence and research.” 

Dr. Dator earned his doctorate in Counseling Psychology from Seton Hall University in 2014 and has worked at Seton Hall and Rutgers universities, the University of Notre Dame, and Providence. He succeeds Luis G. Manzo, Ph.D., who returns to his position as Assistant Vice President of Student Wellness; Dr. Manzo had been performing both jobs for more than a year.

Goals for the Center for Counseling and Psychological Services 

Dr. Dator maintains a small telehealth practice in Rhode Island, but most of his attention is focused on St. John’s. His plans include adding more staff, increasing the center’s visibility, and establishing a group counseling program. He also would like to partner with the Office of Multicultural Affairs and The LGBTQ+ Center on issues of common interest and reach out to the University’s sizable veteran community.

“Simply letting students know that we exist is essential, that we are here and we have unlimited appointments,” Dr. Dator said. “There is no cap on how many times you can come. There is no waiting list for an appointment, and if you prefer a certain type of counselor, we will try to meet that request. When someone comes in for therapy, we want to provide a counselor and a service that best fits them.”

Dr. Dator has already dedicated a counselor to work with Red Storm student-athletes and another with students enrolled in the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. Still another counselor is available regularly at Student Health Services.  

Dr. Dator’s plans coupled with his genuine concern for student welfare made him a natural choice for the position, said Sarah Jean Kelly, J.D., Vice President for Student Success and Retention Strategy, who oversees the University’s student wellness programs.

“Jon had an immediate sense of the challenges our students face and a vision of how to create a culture of care to ensure they receive the services they need,” Ms. Kelly said. “I knew he would provide the permanent presence and leadership we were looking for, and that he would be able to elevate our services to the next level.”   

The rebranding of the Center for Counseling and Psychological Services is part of rethinking student wellness programs across St. John’s campuses and locations—and it is more than a simple name change. Dr. Dator wants the center to be a student destination not only in times of crisis.

Benefits of Mindfulness Training

His vision includes a mindfulness space where students will relax and ground themselves through meditation and quiet reflection. The group counseling program he envisions will bring students together to share insights on anxiety, stress management, homesickness, and other issues that affect student populations. 

The goal, he said, is to facilitate an evolution in mental health care from managing student anxiety to fostering healthier habits such as mind training, concentration, and self-control. Among its physical benefits, mindfulness training is said to improve sleep, mitigate depression, and sometimes lower blood pressure. 

“The top three issues for which students will come for therapy are anxiety, depression, and relationship difficulties. After that, it is adjustment issues,” Dr. Dator said. “Am I enough? How do I keep up with what everyone else is doing? It is also a fear of missing out: If I am in my dorm room and see three of my friends go to a party they did not invite me to, what is going on?”

“For many students, it could be the first time they are dealing with any type of mental health disruption,” Dr. Dator continued. “So we must make sure we know how we are talking about these issues. Because if we are not doing that properly, we are not providing space for students to do that.”

Dr. Dator knows firsthand the mental and physical challenges college students face. While an undergraduate student at Western Connecticut State University, he lost most of his eyesight to a genetic condition. He nevertheless continued in his mission to become a psychologist.

In a roundabout way, his condition has made him a better mental health professional, he said. 

“I don’t think anything happens by accident,” Dr. Dator said. “I do think I am supposed to be working in college mental health with young adults who are dealing with life transition and anxiety and the potential for depressed moods that comes with that. Students can relate to that struggle and realize that people can figure things out and work around issues.”